Wildlife Photo Challenge Day 6-B

This is day six of my photo challenge requested by my friend Don Bromberg. A bunch of wildlife photographers from all over the planet are participating and it will be easy for you to participate too.

Participation…Choose 7 of your favorite photos and share one each day for 7 days on your timeline to your friends and the world. I challenge ALL my photographic friends to this challenge.

South Florida is known for having Burrowing Owls, these small raptors are so cute that some photographers go a little crazy trying to capture them with their heads sideways or upside down. Since that is a natural behavior it’s actually fairly easy to capture those shots, especially when the birds are curiously watching the photographer because we are huge in comparison to those small creatures.

My favorite way to photograph these den living creatures is to lay flat on the ground, as quiet as possible, I was going to say mouse but they can hear mice a mile away, and photograph them through the grass. This shot was captured in Davie Florida at a wonderful site where the Owls are quite numerous and active during season. This profile shot was captured while I was on the hot summer ground. My 500mm lens was laying my bead bag and my chin was in the sand trying to see through the viewfinder. The sun was starting to set, although it wasn’t a very red sky evening, and the Owl seemed to be focused on watching kids playing on the swings a few hundred feet away.

Since the Owl has super hearing and great eyesight I assume he knew I was there but I try to stay quiet and still enough as to not invoke fear in these birds. I was even using quiet mode while clicking frames. I hope you enjoy the shot.